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This Cardinal seems to be a mixed bag in regards to those who hope for a progressive Vatican.

He wants the church involved in reforming global finance to help address wealth distribution. But seems too timid to modernise the Church about sex, contraception, disease prevention, etc. (Well, we could also hope that once he's in power, he could change his tune....)

The Vatican and "abstinence" seem to be chiseled-in-stone BFFs as much as the GOP and "trickle down economics".

And at the end of the day, does global capitalism need to listen to the advice of the Catholic Pope? Doubtful. But a Pope could reform his own Church's murderously antiquated doctrine....

« Last Edit: February 11, 2013, 10:20:36 AM by mecch »

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“From each, according to his ability; to each, according to his need” 1875 K Marx

Perhaps it's time to just do away with the position. Or, elect a pope, who runs around in regular clothes, and gets his hands dirty from actual dirt--building homes for the poor, walking dirt roads to visit the ill, instead of dirt from covering up sex abuse. I didn't realize every sex abuse case came to him, in his prior position.

And, I just don't think the baby Jebus would be okay with this:

Didn't Jesus say to give away all your possessions to those in need? Turn the Vatican into a Five-Star hotel, and give the profits to charities.

Online chatterers ask whether he's that sick, or if the sacking of Cardinal Mahony wasn't sufficient bloodletting. This Pope has a LOT of crime on his conscience. Its not like the good ol days of Pius XII's failings during the Holocaust. Everybody can know everything now.

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“From each, according to his ability; to each, according to his need” 1875 K Marx

Heh... you mean my youngest cat? He was born two years ago on Easter Sunday and so was duly "christened" Eggs Benedict. Hey, you can't name a tom "bunny". He usually gets called by his nickname, Monster. He was the evillest kitten I've even known, so maybe he would be a good choice for poopPoopPOPE darnit! Oh, and he's been known to molest his uncle Fred, so there's that in his favour as well.

Ok, joking aside, I smell a Rat(zinger). This guy has been one of the most egotistical popes in recent history (witness his going for the gold where his wardrobe was concerned) and I can't really see him stepping down voluntarily. I think he was pushed, for whatever reason. Either that or he knows about some huge scandal that's going to break in coming months and he wanted to be well clear. I don't believe a word of this "too sick" crap. Too butt-ugly, maybe.

Didn't Jesus say to give away all your possessions to those in need? Turn the Vatican into a Five-Star hotel, and give the profits to charities.

That could work for all those obscene shopping mall inspired mega churches that are all the rage in the US these days too. Better yet, turn them into homeless shelters with on-site medical facilities. I think Baby Jebus would approve of that, don't you?

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

As a parting gift he could boot Cardinal Sodano (dean of College of Cardinals), who ranks right up there with Cardinal Mahoney in covering up the sex scandals. I agree with Ann. Something tells me there are some major issues that are going to come to light and Bendict wants to be as far from the papacy as he can get.

I can't really see him stepping down voluntarily. I think he was pushed, for whatever reason. Either that or he knows about some huge scandal that's going to break in coming months and he wanted to be well clear. I don't believe a word of this "too sick" crap.

So conspiratorial my dear -- almost like reading a thread on an AIDS denialist web forum.

and I can't really see him stepping down voluntarily. I think he was pushed, for whatever reason. Either that or he knows about some huge scandal that's going to break in coming months and he wanted to be well clear. I don't believe a word of this "too sick" crap. Too butt-ugly, maybe.

This was my immediate thought when the news first broke. Then when I heard that a Pope hasn't resigned since 1450...well something is amiss in the Vatican. He statement said he is too old, but heck as Popes go Papa Benny is like a spry teenager. Near the end of John Paul's reign they were holding his head up during his speeches, and propping him up with a stick in the Pope-Mobile.

That could work for all those obscene shopping mall inspired mega churches that are all the rage in the US these days too. Better yet, turn them into homeless shelters with on-site medical facilities. I think Baby Jebus would approve of that, don't you?

Agreed! There is a mega church here that is building very large satellite churches around town. The main campus is huge. The wedding chapel alone is bigger than many normal churches. And, they own apartments for church goers to rent. They ran commercials in support of a ban on marriage equality back in 2004.

Oh, I was hearing that the pope cannot vote on his successor, because he is over the age of 80. He is too senile to vote on a pope, but can be the pope. Hmmm.

Dear Joseph Ratzinger, please go back to the bloody ultra-catholic Bavaria where you came from They will love you there. Not like here in the atheistic Prussia.

Anyway, the catholic church has trillions of dollars, alone some billions of estate in New York City. They could do more for the poor, p.e. in Africa; the Vatican has more power than the whole U.S.A. I hope the new Pontifex Maximus has other views on AIDS and condoms than Benedict XVI.I admit that he is really intellectual and has written some interesting books, but some of his opinions are from the middle ages.

Does the Pope get to keep his threads or does he have to head out in flip flops and such and leave all his cast offs for his successor. Oh the work for tailors in the Vatican, taking it in here and letting it out there.

And the jewelry. Will they search Bentdick when he leaves to make sure none of the rings and things have somehow ended up in his purse?

Does the Pope get to keep his threads or does he have to head out in flip flops and such and leave all his cast offs for his successor. Oh the work for tailors in the Vatican, taking it in here and letting it out there.

And the jewelry. Will they search Bentdick when he leaves to make sure none of the rings and things have somehow ended up in his purse?

Joan Rivers should do a Papal red carpet event for the election...

LMAO!hmmm...."Bentdick".... cute!I have really never "kept up" with ALL of the Catholic goings on but he always seemed kinda creepy and self-centered to me from afar.(i have similar opinions of organized religion as a whole but also know that many some can see through all of the crapola and feel the bond of a community)

I understand that nothing material is the Pope's property, it's all the church's. So no, I don't think he gets to keep anything. They say he will move into a cloister on site, and stay in seclusion for the rest of his life. Curious, I tried yesterday to find an estimate of the church's wealth. And I am a pretty good searcher, came up with nothing. The vatican bank IOR has been in scandal, these years, and can't keep a President. The Bank of the Holy Spirit no longer exists . Supposedly in the 60's and 70s' the Vatican was actually cash poor. Who knows....

I tried yesterday to find an estimate of the church's wealth. And I am a pretty good searcher, came up with nothing. The vatican bank IOR has been in scandal, these years, and can't keep a President. The Bank of the Holy Spirit no longer exists . Supposedly in the 60's and 70s' the Vatican was actually cash poor. Who knows....

Aren't you the last person on this forum to make religious jokes? Or are you just one of those recidivist anti-Catholics that once threw rocks into cathedral windows, or worse rioted and burned them down? There's a long history of such things in Philadelphia bakc in the 1800's.

Where did I read an article today, that explained how this Rat and Jean Paul only nominated socially conservative Cardinals? How all the pope wannabes are homo hating misogynists, and there's not a Rat's chance in hell that the church can confront its present and future challenges on these counts?

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“From each, according to his ability; to each, according to his need” 1875 K Marx

Miss Philly will now observe lent by laying prostrate before a gigantic crucifix for the next 40 days and nights. Tourists will begin to arrive in the aptly named city of brotherly love in droves to bear witness.

Jody

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"Wake up to find out that you are the eyes of the world". "Try to discover that you are the song that the morning brings."

"Britain's most senior Catholic has suggested Catholic priests should be able to marry and have children, saying the demand for celibacy was not of "divine origin".

In one of the most significant breaks with Catholic orthodoxy, Cardinal Keith O'Brien said many priests found it "very difficult to cope" with the celibate life and suggested lifting that ban could soon happen in the wider church."

I guess when he said that many priest found it "very difficult to cope" with being celibate, he was speaking from experience. Like many men, he had a difficult time keeping it in his pants robes.

I did predict there was a scandal brewing in the background, and the recent revelations of the past few days are likely only the tip of a very large iceberg.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts